Latin Night is Here!

Students dancing to one of the most famous Latin culture songs, “El Caballo Dorado,” at Latin Night 2016.

Latin Night is just around the corner, as it will be taking place on Friday, Nov. 17 at the Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) Lobby and Events Center, where everyone is invited to dance the night away to Latin music.

“It brings the Latino culture and a lot of people get excited about it,” said Programming Student Assistant for Program Board Destiny Lara Benzor.

Program Board works with different organizations on campus and is dedicated to promote a sense of community at CSUSB through free, exciting, and entertaining events.

It is well known for their annually dances they host such Latin Night, sponsered by the Latinx Center and Sigma Lambda Beta.

“Latin Night started about five years ago when a group of students working for Program Board wanted to host a type of dance that had never been hosted on campus before, therefore Latin Night came to be,” stated Program Board Coordinator Monica McMahon.

Before, the entertainment only consisted of a DJ playing at the event but soon they added a new component to the dance.

“We wanted something other than a DJ, so it was pitched to bring a live group to entertain the crowds,” said McMahon.

Since then, every year Program Board has brought both a DJ and a group to Latin Night.

This year, DJ High Sky will be performing for the first time with live music ranging from cumbia to salsa to merengue to bachata and more.

Panteras de California is the name of the group that will also be playing corridos, banda, norteñas and cumbias.

“I think it’s great that every year we’re trying to bring a new DJ or a new group for this event,” said McMahon.

Both the DJ and the band will be playing at the same time, one in the Events Center and the other in the Lobby.

“I encourage students to come so they can get involved on campus because I know so many students just come to school and go home,” said Programming Student Assistant for Program Board Alejandra Ortiz.

Ortiz said many people look forward to this event as it is fun and people have enjoyed it in the past.

“Every year, the event gets bigger and bigger,” said Student Assistant for Cross Cultural Center Itzel Olguin. “It’s because a’lot of people have a Latino background, although you don’t have to be Latino to enjoy it too.”

Olguin has attended the event in the previous years and said it was a great experience because there was music being played from different Latin culture.

“The university is so diverse and this event would be a great opportunity for other people to experience Latino culture,” said Olguin.

The event also serves students to take a break from school, enjoy a night of dancing, and meet new people.

“The timing of the event is a great stress reliever [with] finals coming up,” said McMahon.

Last year’s Latin Night saw more than 1,000 attendees, and this year the coordinators hope to see more people attend the event.

“It is great to have an annual event that people continue to come back to year after year,” said McMahon.

McMahan said that Program Board continues to host this event every year because students highly enjoy it.

“During our past Latin Nights, students have invited their friends with different ethnicities and have had an enjoyable night,” said McMahon.

Erin Duckens is an African American student and plans to attend the event for her first time.

“You can get exposed to a different culture in a fun environment,” said Duckens.

Duckens encourages students to attend the event as it sounds fun and lively to her.

“Even if it’s not what I’m exposed to all the time, I still want to be part of the event and be surrounded by fun people,” said Duckens.

“All ethnicities are welcome to attend Latin Night,” said McMahon.

The event, lasting from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., is free and anyone can attend with their valid California ID.